The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-09-15
DIR. NoRyIN GREEN.
Daily Life of the Manager. of the Gre
Telegraph Corporation. :

i
Telegraph Corporation. -
We don't hear much of DIR. Norvin
Green, president of the Western Union
Telegraph company, says New York
correspondent. But. the doctor is a
man of towering ability, and one OF
Gotham's conspicuosities for all that.
When William Orton died it was
supposed the Western Union Telegraph
company had received mortal blow;
but if Orton were suddenly to return
to life his great gray eyes would open
with amaZement as they rested upon a
paper statement of the business done
by the company, and the vast area of
| which it holds control. Green is not
only man of business and vast enter
prise, but he is helpful, considerate,
friendly person, to whom tens of thou
sands look for guidance and an oppor-
| tunity to work.
One reason for his great endurance
is the ease with which he relieves his
mind of business strain.
When he leaves his office at 4 or 5
O'Clock in the afternoon he leaves be-
hind him the worry and furry of his
most busy place. The calm, seducing
influence of a good cigar leads him
gently from the plane of disturbance
and that hurly-burly of competition
toward the level of peace and quiet,
after which gentle stimulant restores
his tired energies and pleasant drive
to the comforts which seclusion grants
makes him again man ready for the
thought and toll and bother of the
morrow. With his steady hand upon
hn -
he is the comptroller and director, as
we'll as president. pushes proudly
through the waves of competition
quite confident in its own strength that
it will receive its full share of public
favor in the future, as it has for so
many years in the past.
Green was telling me the other day
q funny life insurance incident, which
goes to show how utterly absurd the
present system of examination is.
Some fifteen years ago he was going
west, and life insurance agent ap-
Piled to him and secured from him an
application fer $40. 600 policy. The
applicant was examined in due form,
and subsequently rejected on the
ground that he had ''incipient Bright's
disease"
OF the New York Life sent word to
him that he would like to have him
take $50, 600 in his company This
was at the time Mr.. Orton died. leav-
ing as about the only reliable por-
ton of his assets insurance to the
amount of $87 200, and, although DIR.
Green was tolerably well fixed in this
worlds goods, he thought that per-
haps an extra $4,000 wouldn't hurt
his heirs.
He consented, and was examined by
two physicians. One of them brought
to him the report, and with a very grave
countenance told him that it was with
great regret they were compelled to
decline to advise the company to ac-
cept his risk, adding that he felt it to
be his duty to inform him that he would
doubtless die within the ensuing two
years of Bright's disease. The doctor
was pretty well riled up by this time,
but being philosophical and rich he
laughed it off and continued to live.
Not long after that Mr.. Hyde, of the
Equitable, sent a gentleman to Green
with the request that he would call and
take out policy in the Equitable. By
this time the humor of the situation
struck him and he accepted. He was
again examined and again rejected
and again informed by sapient medi-
cal authority that he had but a short
time to live, whereupon, towering to
his full height, which is considerable,
by the way, he opened ON the examiner,
and with characteristic and forcible
language offered then and there to bet
him two to one that he would outlive
him. Now look at it.
Had the doctor been insured fifteen
years ago for the sum of $50, ,OOo it
would have cost him in the neighbor-
hood of 81, 500 a year and the company
would have been so much m. To-day
he looks better than he did then, his
eye is clear as bell, he is sturdy in
physique, and fully prepared to wrestle
with the vexatious problems of his
position.
Why" said he to the examiner, s.I
am great sugar-eater. l take sugar
on my melons, on my tomatoes, on my
cakes, in my coffee, and in my whisky.
What you see as an indication of
Bright's disease is sugar. / am a
doctor myself, and don't intend to
forget it."